Adventures in the Promised Land
by TheAutumSage
Summary: A slice of Life story about the lives of a group of Octoling refugees from the deep. Deciding to stay together the group begins their new lives in Inkopolis learning new things about themselves and the brand new world around them, opposed to the controlled militaristic world they grew up in.
1. Getting to the Surface

Getting to the Surface

Running through the rancid sewers for what felt like an eternity my eyesight has become accustomed to the darkness of the tunnels and senses numb to the smell of the sewers "just a little further now and I will have reached the Promised Land I feel it" I tell myself my boots squelch with each step through the viscous sludge of the sewers. My stamina reaches its limit as my body screams for reprieve leaning against the wall I remove the bandana that covered my mouth and nose in order to let in more of the stagnant air as I recover from my near endless sprint. Feeling light headed at the sheer amount of putrid air I've been inhaling I force myself to continue sprinting towards the Promised Land I can't fail now, not when I'm so close!

Replacing the bandana around my mouth and nose I continue to run through the sewers until I come across a steep incline with a ladder at the top of the slope with light filtering through "This must be it! I've made it!" warm tears roll down my face as new found energy swells within me as I race towards the ladder wiping away the tears that smeared my face.

Throwing the sewer cover from its perch landing several feet away with a loud metallic thud I climb out of the sewers and stretch my tired limbs breathing in the fresh clean air "this is the Promised Land I've made it" the once noisy crowd of Inklings fall silent as they watch me climb from the sewers "hey dude you came from the sewer?" someone asks from the crowd "uh… yeah" I reply "Whatcha doin down there? Ya some kinda hipster or somethin?" another voice from the crowd this time a female "uh… yeah?" I lie "that's fresh dude" replies the girl and the small crowd disperses seemingly content with my answer or blissfully unaware of what I am: an Octoling.

Nervously making my way through the Crowd of Inklings the sight of neon lights and the numerous large screens displaying some kind of program through the Promised Land catches my eye, but before I could decipher what they mean I see several other Octolings in small groups all wearing the standard neo uniform while others wear military issued researcher lab coats and cloves "Hey!" I call to them the group looks up in surprise before running up to me "You made it?! Were there others with you?" the group leader asks me "some of us didn't make it there was an ambush at All Eyez Station and many of us were captured and the rest of us scattered I'm sure they'll breach soon enough" I try to reassure the forlorn group

"well one more Octoling on the surface fills me with hope that the others find their way up as well" replies the group leader "by the way I'm number 5067 and I'm from the field Study branch" says the group leader, a male Octoling with plum colored tentacles and a scout pack slung around his back, but the most notable thing about him that stands out is the green and yellow chevron weave emblem etched onto his uniform

"and here are numbers 2030, 2031, and 2032 these three are from the Deep Sea Research Branch" pointing to the sisters they each look identical to the other with matching magenta tentacles and white lab coats save for different colored gloves being blue, red, and pink each to their respective sister "what about you? What's your number and function?" number 2030 asks me "I'm number 8064 and I'm from the Mariana Private Guard Bravo Team" the group goes wide eyed at my revelation and 5067 speaks in a hushed voice "that's Top Secret, no, that's beyond Top Secret you're sector doesn't even exist" he says utterly shocked the sisters look at me with apprehension and fear, have they had some experience with the Private Guard before?

"What do you mean? Of course we exist I'm standing right in front of you aren't I?" I question confused about what he meant "what I meant was that normal Octarians like us aren't supposed to know about you for all we know you're a ghost to Octarian society, only heard of through rumors and odd sightings, that's how covert your operation is" explains 5067 in a whisper of a voice "well the Deep Sea Research Branch has had a couple of run ins with the Private Guard, although none of them were pleasant and ended with one of the researchers getting injured" says 2030 in a timid voice

"Well I can tell you it wasn't my team that brutalized our fellow Octolings it must have been the Alpha team they were notorious for their merciless tactics and were known to terrorize those who were of less rank, no offense" I try to reassure 2030 while it doesn't do much to lighten her mood but she does seem relieved somewhat.

I learned from 5067 that the Promised Land is actually called "Inkopolis" and that we were currently in one of hub areas called "Inkopolis Plaza" that borders on Octo Valley "so where do we go from here? I ask 5067 who just shrugs his shoulders "honestly I didn't think I'd make it this far, but you're our superior you tell us and we'll follow" 5067 tells me and the sisters look at me expectantly "well I can go scout for information I'll be right back" I say and depart from the group towards the giant tower as there must be someone there that knows something.

Navigating once more through the crowd I make my way towards the imposing tower where an Inkling in a suit is handing out flyers to Octolings "here's one for you my young friend take this and tell the others that you can get housing in Flounder Heights you only have to take the train leaving from Inkopolis Plaza Station to Stargazer Station" the suited Inkling tells me "thank you I'm sure me and my squad mates will no doubt value this information" shaking the Inkling's hand I run back to my group to tell them the good news

"Hey guys! I have great news!" I announce grabbing their attention "were getting our own Kettles in this place called Flounder Heights!" their faces brighten up after hearing the great news I gave them we erupt into a burst of cheers drawing the attention of several inklings nearby who were startled by the sudden noise "what are we waiting for? Let's get going! I-if that's okay with you Captain 8064 shall we move out post haste?" 5067 asks me sheepishly "We're in the Promised Land free from the depths there are no ranks here and yes let's go!" I tell 5067 who looks relieved as we begin making our way towards Inkopolis Plaza Station

A slight breeze flows through the plaza 2032 takes one more tentative look towards the alley brushing a tentacle from her face and tucking it behind her ear "what's wrong 2032?" asks 2031 "I just can't believe it that we made it to the surface… we've lived our entire lives underground following orders, researching ways to further the war effort, constant testing and experimenting new ideas, and we've always had something to do now… we're free to do what we want no orders, no strict punishment, no end of the day reports I just can't believe it" 2032 says tears running down her face "oh 32…" replies 2030 hugging her crying sister I smile at the scene it must be nice having a sibling, someone to lean on when things get rough "we can save the rest of our tears for when we get our kettle the train's coming" says 2031 pointing the flashing signals


	2. Learning the Basics (and a little extra)

Learning the Basics (and a little extra)

Stepping onto the train we let the sisters take the seats as me and 5067 stand up "so what happens after we get our own kettle? How will we divide up the number of domes inside?" asks 5067 "um for now let's get to Flounder Heights before we start planning that far ahead because as it stands right now we're leading by our shadows right now" I tell him he nods but a smile creeps across his face once more "I know it's just that you know getting your own kettle it's like we're royalty now we're up there with the big boys now with our own kettle" he exclaims I can't help but chuckle at his child like excitement

After making several stops the train has become packed which is something I am unaccustomed to "this isn't like the depth at all there was a lot more room this is crazy" 5067 says and I agree we Octarians had a special train line, due to us transporting various materials to and from the underground constantly, that way things flowed smoothly and without incident… is something grabbing me? Resisting the urge to subdue the assailant I turn my head to see a small inkling has grabbed a hold of my tentacles holding them in its hands with curious eyes

"Oh I'm sorry she has a bad habit of taking things that get her attention, Kimiko let go of his tentacles!" the woman apologizes "Oh no I should be sorry my commander I shouldn't have been in the way of your protégé" I reassure her my reflex of recognizing superiors gets the best of me "excuse me? I'm not sure I understand" the woman gives me a confused glance and adjusts her grip on her protégé "that's your apprentice right? She'll be taking charge once you retire from active duty right?" I ask her which seems to confuse her even more "um… no this is my daughter not my apprentice she'll grow up to be her own person and not what I model her out to be" the woman replies "oh, I didn't know that" I reply I'm not really sure what to do with this kind of information is this what inklings do with their children? I guess we are a lot more different than I realized.

"Well while she's not my apprentice I do have expectations of her when she becomes of age to be a good little inkling" she adds much to my surprise I look back to the others who are intently listening to what the woman has to say "you guys aren't from around here are you? I can tell by what you're wearing" the group begins to get nervous as I begin to get suspicious of the woman is she going to realize that we're Octolings? We're surrounded by Inklings on a moving train I don't think we'll survive if things get ugly… "Yeah I'm familiar with _your_ culture" she mouths the word Octoling and we all freeze "don't worry though I know why you guys are here" she says I'm now on alert as the woman readjusts her hold on the child in her arms

Being temporarily distracted by the child reaching out to me once again I notice something on her tentacles that's quite peculiar "I'm more than familiar with what's going on I hope you guys like Inkopolis! This is my stop" the train makes another pulls into Morray Station a Male Octoling with red tentacles can be seen towering above the other inklings waiting outside the train, the doors open and the woman and her baby walk towards the Octoling and hug and kiss, the baby reaches out towards the Octoling and he begins to hold her at the same time me and the group suddenly realize that they are a family and they look at us and wave us goodbye before leaving the platform

"…am I not the only one that saw that?" 5067 whispers "I saw it too is that what I think that was?" I whisper back "that baby was so cute!" 2032 says "I didn't think we were able to-you know that" 2031 whispers "that was unexpected but she was right about something we stick out we have to change our clothes the sooner the better" 2030 explains "I agree, we should be approaching Stargazer Station in about two stops so the sooner we get our kettle the sooner we can plan our next steps"

…

"Now approaching Stargazer Station, Now approaching Stargazer Station" says the conductor over the intercom "guys we're here" nudging 5067's shoulder he jerks awake "we here?" he slurs tapping 2032's shoulder she wakes up then 2031 and lastly 2030 it's kind of funny to watch them wake up like that. Getting off the train with my sleepy entourage in tow we descend from the platform just outside of Flounder Heights "we made it guys… but one problem these don't look like kettles" 5067 eyes nearly shoot from his head

"What is this?! These aren't kettles! We're DOOMED!" grabbing a hold of the over reacting Octoling "we are going to be ok, it's just a minor setback now I'm going to need you to calm down I don't need you going AWOL that's an order scout!" he instantly settles down as 2032 puts her hand on 5067's shoulder "it's going to be ok, what does the memo say 8064?" 2032 asks I take another look at the flyer I've been given and give it another read "it says that we have to go to the main office and hand them this flyer, so we head towards the office, look out for any important looking building we ready to go?" asking the group who nod collectively as we walk into flounder heights


	3. What's in a name?

What's in a name?

Taking in our surrounding what we thought were going to be kettles turned out to be large square "Apartments" that inklings live in, how strange "Is this the office?" 2031 points to the building in the center of the complex surrounded by numerous vehicles "could be let's check it out" I reply. Inside of the building is a large desk accompanied by several chairs lined along the wall an older inkling typing away on a keyboard doesn't even glance up from what she's doing before asking "do you have a meeting with us? If so take a seat and I'm sure Mr. O'Flounder will meet with you soon"

I look at the group who looks back at me expectantly "uh yes *ahem* we are he because we were sent here from Inkopolis- here's the flyer I'm sure it will explain all of it" handing the flyer to the assistant she reads it over before looking at us her piercing yellow eyes looks us over before picking up a phone "O'Flounder I got some Octolings that are looking for housing here… yes… send them in?... alright I will let them know" placing the phone down her aged eyes never left us even when she went to pick up the phone she was testing us to see if we were going to recoil from her gaze, it seemed like we passed

"Mr. O'Flounder will see you now enter the door on your left" she points a weathered finger towards the left door which is now slightly ajar I go in alone as the others fill the seats closest to the door "Ah yes you must be the Octoling Gloria was mentioning and might I add you have fierce eyes young man, but enough of the banter I am O'Flounder owner of Flounder Heights and you and your motley crew are here for housing right? Come in from the underground seeking the Promised Land?" Mr. O'Flounder, as you guessed it he is in fact a Dab wearing a full pinstripe suit

"Yes how did you know?" I question giving him a sideways glance looking outside the door to see if the group is still out there "don't worry you and your crew are safe here and I know this because others have come and I've sent them to different housing complexes depending on what they were looking for in home so if you need help then I'm your flat fish" he says while signing some papers and then sliding them to me "but before we can get anything done I'm going to need a name, your name and their names outside" handing me his pen I'm confused to what he means by 'name', it feels foreign when I say it

"My number is 8064-" "No I don't need your number I need your name, you do have one, right?" he questions giving me a sideways glance, or not his eyes are confusing they're on one side of his head, "I… don't neither do my friends" I sigh in defeat unable to come up with a name on the spot "ok then don't sweat it we can still find you a home follow me" he gets up from his chair and leaves the office and I follow behind bringing the others with me " _what's going on?_ " 5067 asks in Octonese

" _it's going to be ok_ Mr. O'Flounder _said we can trust him and we don't have many options_ " I reply in Octonese "ok we're here, this is one of many apartments that we have available for you or if you'd like I can refer you to a different complex should these not be of your liking, shall we get started?" asks Mr. O'Flounder asks us "yes" replies 5067 "ah so you do speak Inklish? Great!" Mr. O'Flounder responds and 5067 blushes in embarrassment "no it's fine it doesn't take a genius to know that you were speaking your native language about me don't sweat it!" he explains "we meant no offense we're charting new territory for us so we're just taking careful steps" I explain

"I can completely understand your position, I too was an immigrant to Inkopolis and I also had to figure out how things were done around here" he reassures us "now for the first available apartment is a nice two bedrooms, a master bedroom with a bathroom and a smaller bedroom, large living room with an open kitchen" he finishes and I can immediately tell that the group is less than satisfied with this apartment

"Are there any apartments that have 3 bedrooms?" I ask Mr. O'Flounder "yes right this way" we walk across the complex to a larger set of apartments "this is a 3 bedroom, a master bedroom complete with its own bathroom and two smaller bedroom, plenty of closet space, a large family living room, open concept kitchen with a stove top island and double oven, how does this one sound" Mr. O'Flounder finishes his explanation "can we look inside?" I ask "sure let me just unlock it real quick" replies Mr. O'Flounder

The lock on the door clicks and Mr. O'Flounder opens the door for us, the inside looks so much better than ANY kettle I've ever seen and homier than any Dome I've ever been in and I've seen more than my fair share of Domes. The group quickly disperses to explore the apartment as Mr. O'Flounder and I stay in the front room to discuss further details "I know it's not my place to ask and please forgive my prying but are you their father figure or something? You appear to be a bit older than the others yet they follow you around like little children and look to you when deciding things" he asks and quite honestly I don't know how to answer his question I've never been a father and I've only done what I've known: to lead my squad safely and effectively

"They follow me around because I am a higher rank than they are so they look to me for making our next moves and for making big decisions, it's been instilled in us to follow our superiors' orders as a collective from day one although things on the surface are different I'm sure the more time we spend here we'll break these habits all we need is time" I explain to the best of my ability and Mr. O'Flounder appears to understand "I see… well I wish you guys the best, but what do you think of the place?" he replies I take a good look around the front room and the kitchen "it looks good but I'll have to see what the others think first" walking into the hallway I open the door to one of the bedrooms to find 2030 fast asleep on the bed closing the door as we leave I open the door to the master bedroom to find 2031 & 2032 asleep on the queen sized bed

"I think you have your answer" whispers Mr. O'Flounder as I close the door "I think so as well" I agree with him checking the last bedroom to see 5067 asleep on the bed snoring lightly "we'll take it" I finally say and Mr. O'Flounder nods as we head to the kitchen and he pulls out an application from the folder he had with him "to make this official I'm going to need your names and given your situation and your lack of names I'll need this application back in 2 weeks will that be enough time to come up with names? Or will you need more time?" he questions and I decide to meet in the middle

"give us a couple of days and I'll hand in the application" I finalize "perfect" Mr. O'Flounder agrees "alright now that that has been squared away I have to make my way back to the office to get the other paperwork done I trust that if you have any questions or concerns you'll come to me or Gloria now I'm sure your eager to get some rest as well you and your crew got a lot of work ahead of you starting tomorrow" closing the door behind him I'm left staring at the housing application the realization of all events that happened today is overwhelming and that I'm so happy yet, I'm so exhausted that I can't even muster to shout out in excitement even though I REALLY want to but the others are asleep and I *sniff* *sniff* need a bath


	4. Return Mission

Return Mission

Sunlight filters through the curtains of our new apartment I wake up clean and refreshed from a peaceful sleep on the couch "so this wasn't some kind of dream its real life…" getting off the couch I check the rooms once again to make sure the others are still there lo and behold they are much to my relief. I decide to let them sleep longer since it's been a long time since we've had an undisturbed sleep.

Going back to the kitchen area the application sitting on the island catches my attention once again, picking it up I give it a good read "so all we need are names *yawn* it can't be that hard" I tell myself as I begin to fill out the application until I reach the part where we have to fill in our names on the lease "what to do from here… we need clothes and for clothes we need money I remember that we can use our CQ-80 credits at the vending machine to exchange for cash should we need it, but my pack was destroyed during the attack at All Eyez maybe one of the others has their CQ-80's on them"

Putting the application back on the table the sound of light footsteps fills my ears I turn around to see 2030 enter the room "so it wasn't a dream after all… I'm glad" she says "yeah I was worried for a while, I thought so as well, but it's all real" 2030 gives me a small smile her lab uniform is no doubt wrinkled from her sleeping in it "hey 2030 do you still have your CQ-80 on you? I'm going to need it for the vending machines so that we can get some money" 2030's expression quickly sours as the thought of returning to the depths so soon has made her anxious

"Don't worry I'm not asking all of you to come I will be going alone it shouldn't take too long I'll be back before you know it!" I try to reassure her "its dangerous down there are you sure you want to go so soon? But we do need the money in order to get the things we need though… alright I can lend you my CQ-80 it has about 45,000 points on it I believe but PLEASE be sure to be careful, also take my canned Octoshot as well you'll never know what will happen down there" 2030 explains before going back to her room and comes back with her bag in her hand

"Here but I need you to be careful, we need you to be careful we just got here you don't have to do this so soon" she hands out the bag and before I can take it from her she pulls me into a tight hug "please return safely 64 we can't lose another Octoling to the depths I'll let the others know after you leave as they'll beg you to stay" 2030 lets me go leaving the bag in my hands "it won't take long but I need to do this, we need this it'll only be a one-time thing" I tell her and she nods "tell the others that I'll be back soon" putting on my boots I head towards the door to find a small envelope taped to the door along with a small note that wasn't there before

"Always remember to lock the door on your way out"

\- O'Flounder

Removing the envelope inside are 5 keys one for each of us I take one and put it in my pocket and leave the others on the kitchen table along with the note before leaving and locking the apartment behind me. Taking in the natural light I make my way towards Stargazer station with renewed vigor. I sling 2030's one strap across my back "it's a solo mission, just like old times" I tell myself the sound of the approaching train pulls me from thinking too much on past events. Boarding the train to Inkopolis Plaza I take a seat near the window luckily the train isn't so packed in the morning, or is mid afternoon? I can't fully tell but I'll learn eventually.

Going over the mission details in my mind over and over helps pass the time as the train pulls into Inkopolis Square Station I get off the train and for once everything isn't so crowded, shops seem to be opening up so I guess its morning. Making my way towards the alleyway I see some inklings hanging around the entrance they're all wearing some kind of black leather jacket with an insignia on the back I approach the group on my way to the entrance

"Beat it squid, you don't want no rough waters with us" says the Inkling in the center I'm going to assume he's their commander given his appearance and stature he is adorned with numerous rings mimicking brass knuckles "you're right I'm just heading to the Deep Sea train station excuse me" the imposing group of Inklings look me up and down for a second before separating to let me through although one of the group members keeps their gaze on me

"What a weird lookin squid right like what's with his tentacles? Shits looking goofy" says one of the group members and they all share a small chuckle "they've never seen an Octoling before" I tell myself it's far too early in the mission to get into combat so I let it go. Descending into the Deep Sea Station a communicator sparks to life from 2030's bag "one two, do you copy, over." Pulling the communicator from the bag "yes I copy, loud and clear, over" I reply "good, this is 2030 I have a read on your current location, over" 2030 replies giving me the rundown that she's going to give me surface support "I'll be your eyes in the sky when you're in the deep, over" she adds before the radio clicks silent the sound of the all too familiar Deep Sea Metro pulls into the station

"One way trip to Central Station please" I tell the conductor, a catfish, nods and pulls off towards Central Station. Taking a seat in the empty set of seats in the middle of the car I look out of the window at the emptiness of the deep sea finding comfort in the memories of riding the train. About two stops from Central Station the train opens up to let in more passengers among them are… Sanitized Octolings my hearts skip a beat as they enter the train their pitch black eyes scan the train car before sitting towards the front much to my relief, it doesn't do much but it does buy me a little more time

Taking another tentative look at the Sanitized Octolings the duo have their Octoshots at the hip, full of ink, taking precautions and looking at the train line "one more stop till Central Station" I think to myself I open up 2030's canned Octoshot and fill it with ink I then change my color to match the same shades of green and blue as the Sanitized Octolings should we happen to get off at the same station. Having my disguise ready the train approaches Central station and I get off the train as does the Sanitized duo.

"Shit, this isn't good" keeping my composure as calm as possible I make a beeline towards the vending machine and pull out 2030's CQ-80 and begin exchanging for as many credits I can manage. After pooling a massive 120,000 credits from 2030's 58,685 I'm left with 13,685 points, more than enough to get home. Checking behind me to see if the Sanitized Octolings are still nearby they seemed to have left but I feel as if things are not as they seem so I double down on getting out of here as soon as possible

"The next train comes in 20 minutes" knowing the train's schedule by hearts I sit near the vending machine and begin waiting "Hey you" says a voice from afar "why are you still sitting there you lost or something? We got work to do" the voice says in a more frustrated tone I get from seat and approach the voice to not draw suspicion to myself. The voice belonged to one of the Sanitized Octolings I saw on the train "where are we going?" I ask the Sanitized Octoling "Didn't you understand the briefing? Whatever we're going to Grab & Go station to repair the power lines" he says and the other nods "now come on we're going to be late as is I don't want to be later we'll be terminated if we do" walking ahead of me they begin leading the way

Taking the chance now that their backs are turned I train my Octoshot on them and splat the two dropping my disguise as I do so and turn back to the station. After waiting for 15 minutes the train finally pulls into the station "One way trip to the surface" I tell the catfish conductor who nods and pulls off towards the surface. Taking out the communicator I try to establish communication with 2030 once again "2030 this is 8064 do you copy, over" the radio falls silent for a couple of seconds before sparking to life "Yes! I'm here I'm glad you're safe!" she exclaims into the radio the relief is palpable

"I managed to acquire some money for us but I had some trouble with the cleaners, over" I say feeling my pocket just in case the apartment key fell out, it didn't but it doesn't hurt to check "I saw on my monitor I was going to let you know but the others approached so soon I didn't want to blow your cover, I'm impressed 64, over" 2030 says over the radio "just wait until you all see the haul, over"

I turn off the radio and slip it back into the bag it's going to be a while before we breach the surface I can't lose focus now "what are they rebuilding Grab and Go Station for? Is that home to one of the thangs that powered a major portion of NAMACO? Are they trying to rebuild NAMACO? I heard that the company is in shambles after an unnamed Octoling ran through and swiped all 4 thangs which allowed us to escape"

…

The train breaches the surface and lets me off in the Deep Sea Station picking up the communicator I call 2030 once again "I've got some information I think you all may want to hear, I'll debrief once I get back, over" placing the radio back in its spot in the bag I make my way towards Inkopolis Plaza the sun has set considerably painting the sky in hues of gold and indigo "time must pass differently in the deep sea than on the surface" before I finish my thought my stomach rumbles "I haven't eaten anything for a while and I'm sure the others are starving as well I can pick up some food on the way it'll be a nice surprise"

Entering the convenience store near the station I look at the food items they have for sale although I ultimately settle for the burgers and fries that they make in the food court. On my way out the door a large sparkling book catches my eye "what's this? A book of names interesting… A BOOK OF NAMES!" picking up the large book I excitedly go to the cashier and pay for the book who gives me a kind smile as he bags it for me. Leaving the Supermarket I board the train and head home my eyes rarely leaving the book of names as the train pulls out of the station.


	5. Return Mission Extra's

Return Mission Extra's

 **Note:** any chapter labeled with an "e" will be chapters stemming off the main story about what the others do whenever the group splits up to do different things

2030's POV

With 8064 on his way back to the deep to get us some money I begin to wander the house cleaning up anything that was dirty from the night before, "I left him my communicator once he reaches the Deep-Sea station I'll give him a call" going back to my room to organize my things "so this is where our life begins huh? Not what I expected but this is nicer than what I originally thought" taking out various things from my bag I reach about halfway when I pull out my research laptop "I should connect the communicator's signal to my laptop soon" placing the laptop on the bed I resume emptying out my bag.

Reaching the bottom of the bag someone knocks on my door "come in" entering the room I see its 2031 looking refreshed "when's the last time I've slept THAT good!" 2031 says beaming "it has been a while hasn't it?" I reply, "me and the others were going to head out to explore you want to come?" 2031 asks me "I can't I'm helping 64 through the underground, he's getting us some money and I'm here to make sure he gets through the mission safely" I decline 2031 looks a little sad but she seems to understand my position

"He went back so soon, it's a warzone down their when we escaped I'm frightened to see what it looks like now that most us escaped to the surface" 2031 says a tentative look on her face "don't look so sad we can trust 64 to get it done he hasn't let us down yet, so why doubt him now?" I try to reassure 2031 "you're right gotta keep positive I'll let the others know what's going on" 2031 leaves the room to prepare for the day. After a few minutes of tranquil peace and quiet 5067 practically yells through the house "Turf Wars!? Why am I just hearing this now?! This is what I've been waiting for!" running towards the door the clunking of his boots on the wooden floor sounds his charge

"Come on I don't want to miss out on this!" 5067 yells "Alright, alright just stop yelling!" 2032 yells coming into my room "you sure you don't want to come with us? It would be nice to get out and explore you know" 2032 asks "sorry I can't next time though I'm all yours ok?" 2032 shrugs her shoulders and gives me a halfhearted "ok your loss" and leaves the room "2031 we're leaving you better hurry up!" 2032 yells "when did she become so loud?" I ask myself "I'm coming wait by the door I'll be right there!" 2031 replies "2032 there are house keys on the table, one for each of us don't forget them ok" 2032 nods as she leaves for the kitchen while 2031 trails after her.

Another 5 minutes of conversing later the others leave and I'm left to a quiet house once again "much better" I sigh laying back on the bed facing my laptop. After staring at the laptop for what felt like an eternity I decide it's time to connect the communicator, sitting up I take the laptop to the front room and sit on the couch "alright let's see if I still remember how to do this" opening the laptop I begin the process of connecting to the communicator it should activate if I did it correctly" the virtual communicator on my laptop is attempting to connect to the other one in 64's possession in any moment now it should turn green… yes! Connection complete I begin to speak into the communicator "one two, do you copy, over."

5067's POV

"…I've been reading up on turf wars and it turns out inklings fight for fun it's not some training regimen isn't that interesting" 2031 seems to be interested in my research but 2032 isn't so enthralled with my research which is fine "Oh really? You'd think that after a 100-year war they would have thought twice about using war tactics for sport" 2031 adds on "that's pretty insightful, I'd assume that turf wars came into place as a way of normalizing and making light of a bad situation by turning it into a competitive sport"

"What about you guys? I've already decided on what I'm going to do" 2032 finally takes an interest in our conversation and chimes in "well I for one want to get out of these clothes so I'll be looking around the numerous malls they have and to see what else is there to do around here" 2032 finishes "that's fair I also would like to get some new clothes as well" 2031 says "how close are we to Inkopolis square?" 2032 asks "hmmm… we make two more stops then we're there" reading the train schedule I notice some inklings carrying some weapons on them "hey, um excuse me what weapons are those? Are you guys going to be doing some battles today?" one of the inklings look up from inspecting their weapons "yeah me and the boys gonna be doin some league rank we're lookin to climb to the top" says the girl "yeah hopefully we won't get curb stomped like last week, that was brutal" says one of her partners

"And for the weapons we're using I'm using the Splattershot pro, Jacob's using the Dapple Dualies, and Colby is using the Squeezer, oh my name is Diana by the way, what about you? That's some gear you got there what's that like 3 star gear?" Diana finishes her explanation "me? Well I'm new to turf battles, actually I'm starting today and as for my gear, everyone where I'm from has this gear" I finish my story, well an abridged version of it "oh so you're foreign? Where you from?" 2031 and 2032 look at me unsure of what to do, well there's no need to hide anymore

"Uh I'm from the valley, Octo Valley, I came here recently and I heard about Turf Wars and I wanted to try my hand at it" speaking my piece Diana and her group doesn't fully grasp what I'm trying to say to them "oh, ok if you want to try your hand at Turf Wars then you should see Sheldon over at Ammo Knights he'll get you and your friends set up with some beginner weapons to get your feet wet with" giving great advice I give Diana a hearty thank you as we pull into Inkopolis Square Station

"I get off at the next stop I'm going to The Reef, have fun guys!" 2032 says giving her sister a hug and returning back to the train "ok then we'll meet up here when we're done see you later!" 2031 says the train's door closes and pulls out of the station me and 2031 turn to the inkling group that now accompanies us

"So, you ready to get started?" asks Jacob leading the way to Ammo Knights I begin to get nervous I'm going to Turf Warring! Hopefully all my combat training pays off, I'm so excited!


	6. What's in a name part 2

What's in a name (part 2)

Nearly missing my stop at Stargazer Station from reading through the book of names I descend from the platform the sun has fully set and the moon is beginning to rise bathing the sky in a dark blue hue. Clutching the warm bag of burgers and fries in my left hand and the book in my right I walk through Flounder Heights up to our apartment. The key slides into the lock as it clicks open once inside everyone eating a pizza on the kitchen island "Hey guys I'm back" I say they give me an acknowledging nod still focused on their task at hand

"I managed to get a great haul from the vending machine in the deep but I ran into a little but I ran into a little bit of trouble with some Sanitized Octolings who told me that they were rebuilding the power lines to Grab & Go station" the crew stops their eating all together "why would they begin to rebuild? I don't believe it was destroyed otherwise the train lines would be affected" 5067 says wiping his mouth "correct but Grab & Go station wasn't destroyed" 2030 chimes in "a core piece was taken from the central platform, it powered the entire portion of NAMACO" 2030 finishes "that sounds like something we'll have to put further research into also where did the pizza come from?" I say removing my boots

"Some of our neighbors came by earlier today and gave us a pizza along with other housewarming gifts, they were really nice and their kids were really cute" 2032 says taking another bite out of her pizza "well that was nice of them I'll have to meet them, not tonight of course maybe tomorrow, also you'll never guess what I came across when I was on my way back" clutching the book I can't help but flash a goofy smile "what is it? Is it something special?" 2031 asks "I found a book of names!" I shout thrusting the book forward to show them the group looks confused

"A name? I thought only the highest ranking officials get those?" 5067 asks raising an eyebrow at me "I know, but we're on the surface now no more of the underground we can have names of our own" 5067 is a little unsure of what I told him, but I'm sure he'll come around "It's like we've become one of the high ranking officials I can't wait!" 5067 replies "yeah sure we can take a look after we finish the pizza you guys were kind of distracted anyways" making my way to the kitchen island where the group was centered around "so what did you guys do while I was in the depths anyways?" I ask picking up a slice

"Well me and 2031 went Turf Waring, turns out I'm really good at it" 5067 says "and I went with him it was really fun, but I was better" 2031 exclaims "I went to Arrowana Mall and went sightseeing it was alright I guess, would have been better if I had some money to buy half the things I saw" 2032 says a little upset "well I stayed here and helped you in the deep, but you know that already" 2030 explains "yeah and thanks for that you were a big help" I reply and 2030 smiles "speaking of money I got 120,000 credits from the vending machine it was a lot more than I anticipated but a great haul nonetheless" the table falls silent for a second

"S-seriously? That's a lot of money" 2032 gasps "yeah that's more than enough for all of us!" 5067 adds on "we can get the things we need!" 2031 says "I can get better weapons and gear!" 5067 says, I'd hate to put them down but I have too "the money isn't going to be split, if you've noticed we just got the apartment we need furniture, food to stock the fridge, and to decorate" I say putting a stop to 2032 and 5067's torrent of ideas "yeah you are right, you are the captain after all" 2032 says and they all nod collectively "NO! I'm not the captain we're on the surface now I'm equal to all of you in terms of stature in society no better, no worse!" I shout coming off a little aggressive makes the group recoil so I decide a gentler approach, it's not their fault, it the way we've been taught

"Look I am not your captain, I am not your superior, we are just octolings without a rank and file, we are octolings on the surface to change our lives for the better we're free isn't that what you were saying yesterday 2032? No more orders, no more experiments? That's us now, we just live together" I explain to them they appear to understand but it'll take a while for what I told them to truly sink in I'm not sure we'll stay together in the future but for now we are

"You're right, it's just hard imagining being able to do what you want without fear of punishment for insubordination" 2030 says "we just follow orders right? That's what we've been taught since the beginning without a sense of self but this changes now" she continues "we start being our own Octoling with our names 64 do you still have the book of names?" 2030 asks me a determined look on her face "yeah I do let me get it" walking away from the island I pick up the book from the couch and place it on the table

"Ok so how do we do this? Who goes first?" 5067 asks looking at the book "this will be the last time we go by numbers so 2030 goes first" I say and hand her the book all the determination she mustered falls away as she blushes turning her normal peach colored skin into a bright red "m-me first?! I mean if you insist" she shakily takes the book from me and opens it "oh my! There are so many different names one for each letter of the alphabet" flipping through page after page she gasps before making a decision "AH! This is it! Right here! I've decided on the name Ophelia!" showing us the name in the book we're all surprised by her speedy decision

"That's great 2030- I mean Ophelia!" exclaims 2031 hugging her sister "it's a fitting name I love it" 2032 says "wow names are a powerful thing huh it made her happy just by choosing it! I can't wait for my turn!" 5067 says Ophelia then turns to me "well, how do you like my name?" she looks at me expectantly with an extra bit of something hidden in her eyes, a newfound spark of life, a new determination "it's a great name for an even greater Octoling" I say, and it brings a great toothy smile to her face

"Thank you" Ophelia says before handing the book to 2031 "hmmm… let's see here… Camille that sounds like a good name, it holds so much power behind it that's it I've chosen Camille" Camille placing the book down "wow Camille, hmmm Camille…, it rolls off the tongue, tough yet soft like the late General Irina, but much nicer sounding" Ophelia gives her sister a hug "Who doesn't remember Irina? We all loved her! Now since we're on the surface I've decided to be more imposing" Camille says placing her hands on her hips in a triumphant pose "wow those two are tough acts to beat, I'll have to try harder" 2032 says picking up the book

"What's a good name for me…" flipping through numerous 2032 can't seem to decide so she flips through the book once again getting frustrated before she finds the perfect name for herself "Persephonie" she says "yes, Persephonie" she says again in a more final tone "it's a good name, a little difficult to say" Ophelia says, "yeah you're just going to have to get used to it sister!" Persephonie jokes handing the book to 5067

"Ok my turn! What in this book for me I wonder?" flipping to the beginning of the book he carefully reads past every name "Apollo? Hmm… sounds good, sounds important, A name destined for greatness!" "more like a name for a kid whose headstrong!" Camille says, "ugh Camille it was one time during the last match I got a little carried away and it cost us the match I'm sorry!" Apollo apologizes rubbing the back of his head "what happened during the match?" I ask Apollo face turns a bright red "Our boy Apollo here thought it was a good idea to taunt the enemy team while we had a big lead which lead to us getting reverse swept in the last minute" Camille gives Apollo a stern look while he recoils

"I thought we had the game in the bag ok? I how was I supposed to know how quickly two aerosprays can cover ground in a matter of seconds!" Apollo hands the book to me a look of regret heavy on his face "guess it's my turn now" taking the book from Apollo I try to think of a rationale for a name "I want my name to be modest, yet holds weight behind it a name befit of someone who held a great responsibility once" thinking to myself I begin to flip through the book with my thoughts being the driving force for my decision

"Bowie?" I say out loud "Bowie, sounds nice and to the point, someone you can rely on, someone to lead it fits you" Ophelia says and the others seem to agree "sounds like someone who knows what they're doing, a man with a plan" Apollo says "alright, alright don't butter me up, I get it the name fits and the way you guys said it to me how can I not accept the name? I have a lot to live up to" I say closing the book and set it on the table

"Tomorrow is a busy day, we have to get food, bedding, and other things for the house, if we have enough after shopping we can get some clothes" I say since we got our names why not get new clothes as well? "Really? I saw some clothes that would look great on me!" Persephonie exclaims "I do recall seeing some gear at Booyah Base that I wanted to get" Apollo says rubbing his hands together "great now that that has been decided why don't we clean the mess we made and get ready for bed?" picking up the pizza box along with the burgers and fries that I bought I place them in the empty fridge as everyone else leaves the kitchen, I turn around to see Ophelia picking up the paper plates from the table "let me help you cleanup"


End file.
